A Top-Secret Press Release
Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? Yes, it's a press release for my eyes only!
This silliness was at the bottom of a press release! From some genius PR firm called "Evins Communications." The "privileged, confidential" information? "Ambassador Kathryn Hall's Dinner Party Tips":
this email and any attachment hereof may contain proprietary information which is privileged, confidential or subject to copyright belonging to evins communications. this email is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. if you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments to this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. if you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original as well as any copy of this e-mail and any printout thereof. thank you for your cooperation.
I wrote the account exec back:
Um, you're a PR firm sending out press releases with this silliness? That's so dumb, it makes me want to clearcut a forest, print up flyers (with this message) and disseminate them to the world.By the way, I'm already being sued by a TSA agent for $500,000, which is kind of stupid, because those of us who write freelance for papers can barely keep the lights on.
Nevertheless, get in the lawsuit line, because I'm going to blog this -- no, not your press release with the dinner party suggestions -- but the dipshitted warning statement.
Pssst! I suggest you sue me for my toenail clippings rather than cash. The income, she doesn't grow so well in the Obamaconomy. The toenails seem pluckily determined to continue on their merry toenail way.
Suggestion for employers: Hire (and be) people who think when conducting business.
Also, if you're going to try to frighten me with legal action, it's best to capitalize at the beginnings of sentences.
I read stuff like this and crack up, not just at the ridiculousness of the press release, but Amy's response! Love it!
Kristen at October 3, 2011 4:44 AM
First, IANAL.
However, tacking bullshit disclaimers onto email or fax messages like this has zero legal weight whatsoever.
If you receive a fax or email in error with sensitive or proprietary information in it, you can be asked to delete or destroy it (as a courtesy). Asked being the key word here. You are under no legal obligation at all.
This is an extension of proprietary warnings on hand-delivered or mailed documents/drawings etc. which are exchanged in business relationships, at which point there is some legal weight.
Faxes/emails? Not so much.
DrCos at October 3, 2011 4:57 AM
My kid, going on 9 next month, read one of these, asked what it meant, then tacked it onto her emails (which she is allowed to send only to family and very close friends), in case she asked for something I'd said she couldn't have and got caught: Evidence inadmissible.
elementary at October 3, 2011 9:07 AM
I remember when a group in Portland, Oregon sent out emails to local media informing them that the group would be holding a meeting at a public park. The reporters who showed up were told that it was a private meeting (again, in a public park) and asked to leave.
Kevin at October 3, 2011 9:56 AM
This copy/paste crap companies use in email today is stupid, your example is likely from another source and part of their signature of which they only have one. A client of mine did the same crap even when they forwarded crap to me that was to be published to their site "today" or "as soon as you receive this email", it is plain stupid.
I tried to find a place to say crap again for reinforcement but not seeing one so ... oh wait this includes one, perfect!
NakkiNyan at October 3, 2011 1:20 PM
Here, I made some changes:
This email and any attachment hereof may contain proprietary information which is privileged, confidential or subject to copyright belonging to, well, me I guess, although the chances of that are unlikely, given the nature of my employment. This email is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed, because, really, who else would care. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, I apologize for filling up your inbox with a message in which you are most likely uninterested. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately, so I can say, “Sorry!” and permanently delete the original as well as any copy of this e-mail and any printout thereof. Thank you for your cooperation, and please recycle.
Steve Daniels at October 3, 2011 2:17 PM
I wonder if the company's attorney has "received numerous awards and is a member of several organizations."
Conan the Grammarian at October 3, 2011 5:39 PM
No arguments from me
Hallie Bertin at October 17, 2011 8:15 PM
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